Hi Howard,

Thank you!  Exactly!  Yes.  We need to do our part and it would not be right
for us to place unreasonable demands on others.  At the same time, authors
and publishers can certainly provides some level of accessibility without an
unreasonable amount of effort.  I think everyone, blind or sighted, should
do their best when it comes to accessibility.  It doesn't matter whether or
not I represent "the majority" as I still have needs and desires to
participate.  Providing accessibility closer to the beginning of any process
rather than trying to include us at the end is far more cost effective and
overall better for all concerned.

Look everyone.  In the case of amateur radio, we're ultimately going to
require accessibility in order to learn the material needed to pass the
licensing exams and to understand all the concepts necessary.  We're also
going to need accessibility of radios, text materials, test equipment and
other items in order to more fully participate in the amateur radio service.
Either that accessibility is provided by the manufacturers of the equipment
and publishers of the texts, or it is provided later by fellow sighted hams
or blind people are ultimately excluded from amateur radio and other forms
of participation in society.  There are only those three options.  I'd like
to see a combination of the first two (accessibility and sighted assistance)
with a heavy leaning toward accessibility and never any absolute exclusion!



----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard Kaufman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 1:42 PM
Subject: Re: Revisiting accessible amateur radio study materials.


> We have already established the precedent because if manuals are useful or
> not with out owning the equipment, is not an issue of the copyright.
> We are already down that slippery slope.  Bookshare does make sense for a
> lot of reasons, since the issue of access if for persons who are reading
> disabled, and therefore meet the needs of NLS Services.  Since the Exams
> are U.S. exams, no international problem.  I do think that the producers
> of
> materials need to know that if they do not prioritize creating materials
> in
> accessible format, it will be done anyway, because people have no reason
> to
> expect to tolerate being excluded.  On the Eve of Dr. King day, it is
> important to remember the price of freedom and equality.  When it is not
> given, it must be taken.